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CLASSIC: What was the 'Great Stink' of London?
Every city has its drawbacks -- parking, for example, or crime, or the price of a decent pizza slice -- but in the 1800s London faced a particularly unusual and disgusting problem: the city literally…
Published on 1 year, 6 months ago
The Constitution is Amazing (and Ridiculous), Part Two: The Game of Amendments
The founders of the United States knew the Constitution wasn't perfect, and so they baked in a process for revising their original document. Today, the first few amendments are collectively known as …
Published on 1 year, 6 months ago
The Constitution is Amazing (and Ridiculous), Part One: A Troubled, Ambitious Origin Story
Something like 60% of Americans have never fully read the US Constitution. How did such a short document become one of the most important pieces of writing in human history -- and why are some parts …
Published on 1 year, 6 months ago
CLASSIC: How Farmers Built A Barbed Wire Phone Network
Nowadays smartphones are an ubiquitous part of many civilizations, but not so long ago telephones of any sort were a rare commodity -- and the infrastructure was enormously expensive. When telephones…
Published on 1 year, 6 months ago
Ridiculous Video Game Tie-ins, Part Two: The Olympics and the Great Game of Chex Quest
Imagine grabbing a box of (at best) mid cereal, only to discover the greatest game, free withing the box. Imagine making an entire game based on an oft-maligned Olympic mascot! In the second episode …
Published on 1 year, 6 months ago
Ridiculous Video Game Tie-ins, Part One: The Rise of Cool Spot -- and Fall of the Noid
Cast your memories back to the strange days of the 1980s and 1990s -- boy howdy, things were weird. At some point, marketing executives the world round realized that video games could be a new, power…
Published on 1 year, 6 months ago
CLASSIC: The Strange Story of Canadian Margarine Bootleggers
True story: once upon a time, both Canada and the United States once had bizarre laws banning the production or importation of margarine -- and prohibition naturally led to crime. Today's classic epi…
Published on 1 year, 6 months ago
Malta: Tiny and Amazing, Just Like The Dog
How did this tiny, strategically crucial archipelago change the course of World War II? Join Ben, Noel and Max as they explore the deep -- at times, ridiculous -- history of Malta in the guys' contin…
Published on 1 year, 6 months ago
The Ridiculous History of Credit Cards
When you think about it, credit cards are a pretty fascinating idea -- they're convenient, ubiquitous and, often, predatory. In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max explore the strange origin story of …
Published on 1 year, 6 months ago
CLASSIC: San Francisco's Egg War
How much would you pay for an egg? Would you kill for one? In today's classic episode, join the guys as they explore the strange story of the Gold Rush, the Common Murre and Farallon Island -- the si…
Published on 1 year, 6 months ago